with our Duty to our Constituants and our Loyalty & Zeal for His Majesty's Service." They would not even in their Address name the Act of Parliament, much more have any Reference to it in their Law. The Pains both the Council and myself took to get the Law made conformable to that Act, and the Reasons why at length we gave our Assent to it, I have already laid before your Lordship in my Letter N. 3, and in the Minutes of Council of the Session in May 1768, and it is therefore needless for me to trouble your Lordship with a Repetition of them here. I shall only add, That as I understood that the Law of New York had been approv'd, I took the Pains at this Session to send there for it, in hopes that the Assembly would have been prevail'd on to make their Act conformable to it, but a Majority of the House refused, tho' several of their Members thought it would be a good Expedient for preserving the Appearance of not giving up any of their supposed Rights and Privileges, and at the same time not occasion any Umbrage to the King or Parliament. I should not have given my Assent to this Law of May 1768 after all, if I had thought that the Law of 1767 would have been actually repeal'd. But the Board of Trade did not, it seems, report against it till the 10th of June, nor was it disallow'd by the King in Council till the 12th of August 1768, and your Lordships Letter enclosing it is dated the 16th of that Month, so that I could not learn its Fate till several Months after it had had its full Effect, and another Act was passed for the Same Purpose. I had besides, Reason to believe, that the King's Ministers were much pleased with my having been able to obtain a Law so nearly complying with the Act of Parliament, considering the Spirit which so generally prevail'd in the Colonies at the Time; and I had likewise heard that the Act passed in New York was deem'd a sufficient Compliance with the Act of Parliament, notwithstanding it was liable in some Respects to the same Objections as that of

New-Jersey. These Considerations, I hope, will have some Weight in removing any objections that may be made to my Conduct on this Occasion.-It is most certain that I could have no possible interest or Inducement to give my Assent to any of these Laws, but His Majesty's Service, which I had reason to think would suffer if the Troops were not furnished with the Necessaries allow'd by Parliament, and the Province besides being thrown into Confusion on that Account. However, let the Event be what it may, I shall never Venture again to give my Assent to any Act of the like Nature, without positive Orders for the Purpose; and as it is highly probable that when the Assembly is called upon for a further Supply (which must be in May or June next,) they will act in the same Manner as before, I hope I shall by that Time receive explicit Directions for my Conduct. As to Dissolving them in Case of Non Compliance, I am sure it will not avail anything. I have known that Experiment frequently tried by Governors, but I never knew of an Instance where Government found any Advantage by it. The Succeeding Assembly has been either the same Men or worse; for as their Dissolution is generally on some popular Point, it only serves to increase their Popularity, and enables them, if the Governor has a few Friends in the House, to get them removed, and others of a different Complexion elected in their Places. There are but very few of them that put any Value on their Seats, for they cost them Nothing, and their Attendance on the Business of the Publick is frequently productive of Inconvenience to their private Affairs, and seldom proves of any Advantage to them. The Governor of this Province has no other Means of influencing them but by his Prudence and Management, for he has not a Post or Place in his Gift that is worth any of their Acceptance, they being chiefly Men of independent Fortunes, and the Salaries of Offices here so

very low, that it is often difficult to find Persons who are any ways qualified to accept of them. The only Offices from which any Profit can be made are the Attorney General's and those now annexed to the Secretary's office; but these Officers and the Chief Justice are generally appointed in England. The latter as I have before inform'd your Lordship complains much, and with Reason of the Smallness of his allowance. And as to my own Office, I can with Truth assure your Lordship that I have never in any one Year receiv'd a Thousand Pounds Sterling, Salary & Fees included; nor is there any Way for me to make more, unless I have Recourse to Measures that I would not be concern'd in for all the Governments in the World. Perquisites there are none, nor has a Governor here any of those Fees and Advantages which the Governors have in other Provinces, where they have the Granting of the King's Lands, &c. A Governor of New-Jersey (tho' his Salary is much inferior to that of any other of the King's Governors) is Subject to an Expence & Inconvenience that no other in America is liable to, by reason of there being Two Seats of Government, where he is oblidg'd to meet the Assembly alternately. I seldom go from Home on this Account that it does not cost me 150€ extraordinary. In short, the necessary Expences of Living are so much increas'd in America, and particularly to one in my Station, that I have not been able with all the Frugality and Oecono my in my Power to save any Thing out of my Income; nor is it possible that I should, unless I was to live in a Manner that would disgrace His Majesty's Commission, which I shall not do while I have the Honour to hold it.

I beg your Lordship's Pardon for the Length of this Letter. I could have made it shorter, but that I was unwilling to omit any Circumstance which might explain the Motives of my Conduct, or have a Tendency

to remove His Majesty's Displeasure,-than which Nothing could affect me more sensibly, as I have long valued myself on a strict Performance of my Duty, and the strongest Attachment to my Sovereign. I hope that I have not, in the Course of my Defence, dropt any Expression which can any way offend your Lordship. I am sure it was not my Intention. I have the highest respect for your Lordship's Character, and greatly wish to stand well in your Lordship's Opinion. If I succeed in Removing His Majesty's Displeasure, and your Lordship's Prejudices against my Conduct, I shall be happy. But whatever may be the Event, my Sentiments of Duty and Loyalty will remain the same, and I shall chearfully Submit to the Pleasure of that King whom it has hitherto been my chief Glory to serve faithfully.

I have the Honor to be, with the greatest Respect, My Lord, Your Lordship's

most obedient & most humble Servant

WM FRANKLIN

Letter from Gov. Franklin to the Earl of Hillsborough, relative to the Treaty with the Indians for settling the boundary line between them and the British Colonies.

[From P. R. O. America & West Indies, Vol. 174 (192).]

BURLINGTON, Dec! 17, 1768

Right Honble the Earl of Hillsborough.

My Lord,

I acquainted your Lordship in my Letter No 12, that I was then on the Point of setting out on a Journey to Fort Stanwix, to assist at a Treaty with the Six

Nations for settling a Boundary between them and the British Colonies. I was much longer absent than I had any Reason to expect, owing to the Senecas and some other distant Nations not coming in till several Weeks after the Time fix'd for holding the Conference. -Your Lordship will, of course, receive a particular Account of the Transactions there from Sir William Johnson, so that it is needless for me to trouble your Lordship with any Recital of them here. So far as they particularly concern'd this Colony, your Lordship will see them in the Minutes of Council sent herewith. I would only beg leave to observe in general, that there was the greatest Number of principal Indians assembled that was ever known at any Treaty, who all seem'd perfectly satisfied during the Course of the Negotiations, and return'd home in the best Disposition that was ever known on such an Occasion.-If the Boundary is Speedily ratified by His Majesty, I have no doubt it will add greatly to their Satisfaction, and contribute more towards securing a permanent and lasting Peace with them than any other Matter whatever.

On my Return Home I found your Lordship's Dispatches from No 9 to 13 inclusive. The latter I have already answered in my Letter N° 13, and your Lordship may rely that I shall not fail paying punctual Obedience to the Directions contained in the others, as far as is in my Power.

I have the Honour to be, with the greatest Respect My Lord, Your Lordship's

most obedient & most humble Servant W FRANKLIN